Venice Lagoon Bridge

French & Parrello Associates (FPA) provided engineering services for the replacement of the Venice Lagoon Bridge, located within the Venice Park neighborhood of Atlantic City. Venice Park is an island with a population of approximately 1,100 that is surrounded by a waterway known as the Beach Thoroughfare on three sides, and on its remaining side by the Penrose Canal. Venice Park is further bisected by Venice Lagoon which flows north-south through the interior of the island.

The Venice Lagoon bridge is the only access route between the mainland and the island. The existing seven-span, 130-foot-long bridge is functionally obsolete due to the narrow bridge deck, and is structurally deficient due to the severely deteriorated timber pier bent piles. The severe condition of the piles required an emergency contract to temporarily stabilize the bridge until the new bridge could be constructed.

The new five-span, 134-foot-long bridge replacement over the tidal Venice Lagoon consists of a 40-foot-wide roadway bounded by 6-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. A curb barrier was installed on both sides of the roadway to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic crossing the bridge. The new superstructures are pre-stressed concrete adjacent voided slab beams with a composite concrete deck slab. The pier and abutment substructures consist of concrete-filled steel pile bents with a reinforced concrete cap. The project also includes design of steel sheet pile bulkheads with tie-backs at each abutment.

The new bridge was constructed in two stages using temporary alternating traffic signals. Coordination with the US Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as NJDEP, was provided, and the respective permits were obtained. This NJDOT funded project required NJDOT Local Aid review.